Photos: Cute chicks smile for the camera

A small flock of young snowy owlets huddle in a basket on June 27 at the Hanover Zoo in Germany. After hatching four weeks ago, the owlets are starting to venture out of their nest.

Despite their fluffy grey appearance, it won't be long until the chicks grow into their signature white adult coats. While male snowy owls have almost completely white plumage, female snowy owls tend to have dark scalloping along their bodies.

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Photo:Jim and Pam Jenkins/Smithsonian's National Zoo

Kori bustard chicks

A pair of kori bustard chicks make their summer debut inside the Bird House at the Smithsonian's National Zoo. After hatching on June 9 and 10, the chicks are now being hand-raised by zoo keepers, which increases the likelihood that the chicks will breed successfully once they reach sexual maturity.

In 1997, the zoo began a kori bustard breeding program after it was discovered that populations of this large terrestrial bird were on the decline.